How One Indiana County Allocates Its Family Law Cases

While preparing a divorce for Shelby County, Indiana, I read up on the Shelby County court's Local Rules.  If you have read my , you will know why the following caught my eye:

LR73-AR00 Rule 2 Local Caseload Plans:
I. Caseload Allocation

A. Criminal Cases

1.¹ Criminal case allocation shall continue to operate as specified in Amended Joint Local Rule No. 1

B. Civil Cases

1. Juvenile Cases

a.² All Juvenile cases (JC, JT, JD, JS, JM, and JP) shall continue to be filed in Shelby Superior Court No. 1

2. Remaining Civil Cases

a. All Civil Plenary (CP) cases shall be filed alternately in Shelby Circuit Court and Shelby Superior Court No. 1
b. All Domestic Relations (DR) cases shall be filed alternately in Shelby Circuit Court and Shelby Superior Court No. 1
c. All Reciprocal Support (RS) cases shall be filed in Shelby Circuit Court.
d. All Protective Orders (PO) cases shall be filed in Shelby Circuit Court
e. All Small Claims (SC) shall be filed in Shelby Superior Court No. 2
f. All remaining types of civil cases (AD, AH, CT, ES, EU, GU, MH, MI and TR) shall be filed as requested by the initiating party.

More generally, The Indiana Judicial Conference proposes changes to the whole of how Indiana organizes its courts.  See Judiciary announces court reforms from The Indiana Lawyer Daily for news on this.

The plan calls for state funding of the trial courts in order to allocate resources fairly. Currently, the state pays for some salaries and court programs and county councils pay for other salaries and programs. Figures aren't yet available on the impact of funding changes.

I get to add this 27 page report to my reading list of the new Child Support Guidelines.